"My retired father has a multimillion-dollar business," ex-prime minister of Georgia

Georgia ex-prime minister’s property

According to Irakli Garibashvili, former prime minister of Georgia and current chairman of the ruling party “Georgian Dream,” his father is officially engaged in business activities and has built a multimillion-dollar business.

“My family’s income is completely legal, as is our business activity and property. If you’re interested, I’m willing to provide you with all the information. My father, although retired, has a multimillion-dollar business and property in his name, which he acquired through various means. This information is not hidden — it’s public information, and I’m willing to share it with anyone interested. So please refrain from spreading falsehoods,” said Garibashvili in a conversation with journalists.

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Background

According to the head of the anti-corruption bureau, Rajden Kuprashvili, Irakli Garibashvili is on the list of individuals subject to verification, and his asset declaration for 2023 will be examined.

“The asset declaration of former prime minister Irakli Garibashvili was verified during the reporting period of 2022. This was done at the request of an independent commission, and the information provided was thoroughly reviewed, resulting in a positive assessment of the declaration.

Regarding the current year’s declaration, which was recently submitted, it pertains to the reporting period of 2023. The declaration is among those subject to verification and will be examined in full compliance with the law,” said the head of the anti-corruption bureau.

In his declaration dated March 23, 2024, Irakli Garibashvili stated that in 2023, he received a gift of 150,000 lari [approximately $55.6 thousand] from his parents.

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Who is the father of the former prime minister and where does he get so much money from?

The father of the former prime minister, Tariel Garibashvili, is an unemployed pensioner and officially does not have any business. However, he owns a huge house and a total of 4.5 hectares of land in his hometown municipality of Dedoplistskaro.

According to public registry information, Tariel Garibashvili began buying land in 2014, after his son became prime minister. Prior to that, until 2012, Garibashvili’s father held a position as one of the village trustees and owned only the family house and a piece of land, according to a investigation by the “Mtavari” television company.

The only business currently registered in the name of Garibashvili’s father is a 50% stake in the LLC “Georgian Roots” [LLC “Kartuli Pesvebi”]. According to the public registry, Tariel Garibashvili acquired a share in this winemaking company on February 7, 2023, for 200,000 laris [about $74.1 thousand]. However, before that, in the years when Tariel Garibashvili gifted his son 300,000 laris [about $111.2 thousand], he did not officially own any businesses.

In early September, journalists found out that the prime minister had used a government plane for personal purposes – to transport his family.

The trip by Irakli Garibashvili from Tbilisi to Munich and back on a government plane in August cost 34,000 euros [about $12.6 thousand]. According to the official version, this amount was paid by the prime minister’s father.

At that time, the prime minister explained to journalists that he came from an affluent family that had never had financial problems.

However, there is an interview with Tariel Garibashvili from 2013, which he gave to ambebi.ge after his son was appointed prime minister. In this interview, Tariel Garibashvili said that he sent his son to study in France with money collected from friends, and while in France, his son financially supported the family by working as a waiter.

The same was said by Tariel Garibashvili in an interview with Nino Jgarkava nine years ago.

From the report of the “Mtavari Arkhi” TV channel, it becomes clear that the area of the pensioner Tariel Garibashvili’s estate in his native village of Khornabuji is increasing every year. According to documents, a year ago, the prime minister’s father bought a neighboring house and is constructing a new building on the premises.

“The estimated amount that the Garibashvili family spent on the construction of houses, yards, and a pool far exceeds not only Tariel Garibashvili’s pension, but also the income that the prime minister receives as a salary from year to year,” the journalistic investigation says.